Method of four yarn overplaid knitting



June 21, 1960 N. LEVIN METHOD OF FOUR YARN OVERPLAID KNITTING Filed April 50, 1959 FEED N 2 Fig.7.

INVENTOR.

Nalllw 2,941,385 METHOD or FOUR YARN OVERPLAID KNITTING Nathan Levin, 722 Edgewood Ave., Trenton 8, NJ. Filed Apr. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 809,996 13 Claims. (Cl. 66-43) The present invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly :to the knitting of a plurality of overplaid yarns to form four yarn overplaid type of designs in a plurality of suture joined separate fabric areas wherein the overplaid yarns are knit to form lines of design stitches thereof which extend across the fabric joining sutures, to the method of knitting and to the fabric resulting therefrom.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of knitting, preferably on a four feed circular knitting machine, wherein a pair of suture joined separate body fabric areas is knit of apair of body yarns on an adjacent pair of the feeds and wherein a single overplaid yarn is knit at one only of said pair of feeds to form a line of design stitches incorporated in each of said pair of fabric areas.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of reciprocating knitting on a four feed circular knitting machine wherein pairs of composite suture joined body yarn courses are knit of a body yarn at each of said feeds in alternation with the knitting of four overplaid yarns at certain of said feeds to form design stitches thereof, the design stitches formed of each of said overplaid yarns being placeable in the courses knit of a pair of said body yarns.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred form thereof, and from the appended claims.

In the drawings:

'Fig. l is a side elevational view of an argyle hose having an overplaid design therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the leg portion of the hose of Fig. 1, split along its rear central wale, showing the disposition of its suture joined areas and their overplaid designs in relation to the particular feeds and to the needles of the four feed machine making the same.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the circle of needles of a four feed machine indicating those portions of the circle of needles which are adapted to knit at each of the four feeds during reciprocating knitting.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the circle of needles of a four feed machine showing the relative disposition of the body and overplaid yarns during reciprocating knitting of four body yarns to form body fabric courses of four suture joined fabric areas of the hose of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the nature of the body course formation at each of the four feeds during reciprocating knitting.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 4 during reciprocating knitting of four overplaid yarns to form design stitches in the body fabric courses made of the four body yarns.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a color change of the overplaid yarns. One example of overplaid decorated argyle hose made according to the present invention is shown in Fig. l,

Patented June 21, 1960 wherein the hose has the usual top portion 17, a leg portion 18 of solid color suture joined separate diamond shaped fabric areas ornamented with an overplaid of four yarns, and the usual foot portion 19. The overplaid design formed by the present invention is of the four yarn type wherein each straight line portion thereof extending between the center portions of a pair of adjoining areas (and across the suture line therebetween) is formed of a single yarn as distinguished from the-eight yarn type of overplaid wherein each similarly disposed straight line portion thereof is formed of a pair of y'arns changed at the suture line, so that in the four yarn-type a single yarn does the work of a pair of yarns in the eight yarn type. It will be understood ,that overplaid argyle hose of other pattern configurations may be made using the principles of the present invention.

In Fig. 2, the leg portion 18 of the hose of Fig. 1 has been shown as it would appear with the leg fabric severed along its rear central wale and disposed in a flat plane. The upper and lower diamond shaped fabric areas of the front of the hose, usually knit upon feed No. 3 of the machine, are indicated at 20 and 21, respectively. The upper and lower diamond shaped fabric areas of the rear of the hose (here shown split), usually knit upon feed No. 1 of the machine, are indicated at 22 and 23, respectively. The upper half diamond, the middle diamond, and the lower half diamond shaped fabric areas of one side of the hose, usually knit upon feed No. 2- of the machine, are indicated at 24, 25 and 26, respectively. The upper half diamond, the middle diamond, and the lower half diamond shaped fabric areas of the other side of the hose, usually knit upon feed No. 4 of the machine, are indicated at 27, 28, and 29, respectively. Each of the several separate fabnic areas 20 through 29 is joined to the fabric areas adjacent thereto by suture seams indicated at 34?. It will be apparent that a zig-zag shaped suture line is thus formed of the suture seams 30 between the fabric areas made at each of an adjoining pair of feeds, for example, the fabric areas 20, 21 and the fabric'areas 2d, 2.5, and 26 are joined by a zig-zag suture line.

The fabric of Fig. 2 is provided with an overplaid design formed by four overplaid yarns indicated at 31, 32, 33, and 34, each yarn being knit in the general shape of a zigzag line of design stitches so disposed that its straight line diagonal portions extend across the oppositely extending zig-zag lines of suture neams 30 from and between the centers of designated ones of the diamond shaped areas. I The yarn 31 commences knitting at the center of side half diamond 27, continues diagonally across a suture seam 30 to the center of upper rear diamond 22, then diagonally across a suture seam 30 to the center of side diamond 28, then diagonally across a suture seam 30 to the center of lower rear diamond 23, and finally diagonally across a suture seam 30 to the center of lower side half diamond 29, where the knitting of overplaid yarn 31 terminates. The path of overplaid yarn 33, as it knits and as it extends from the center of side half diamond 24, to the center of front diamond 20, to the center of side diamond 25, to the center of front diamond 21, and then to the center of side half diamond 26, is generally parallel to the path of the overplaid yarn 31. The knitting paths of the yarns 32 and 34 are parallel and are reversely similar to the paths of the yarns 31 and 33. The yarn 32 extends from the center of side half diamond 27 (where yarn 31 also starts) to the center of front diamond 26 where it meets yarn 33, to the center of side diamond 2.8 where it meets yarn 31, to the center of front diamond 21 where it again meets yarn 33, and finally to the center of lower side half diamond where it again meets yarn 31. The yarn 34 extends from the center of side half diamond 24 (where yarn 33 also starts) to the center.

of rear diamond 22 where it meets yarn 31, to the center of side diamond 25 where it meets yarn 33, to the center of rear diamond 23 where it again meets yarn 31, and finally to the center of lower side half diamond 26 where it again meets yarn 33.

The hose body fabric is preferably knit upon a four feed Reading CK machine having a circle of independent latch needles vertically slidable in a needle cylinder and adapted to rotate and to reciprocate therewith to knit yarns at said feeds. The needle circle N and the four feeds, Nos. 1 through 4, are indicated in Fig. 3 wherein the needle circle is disposed in a particular position in relation to the four feeds in order to illustrate those needles adapted to knit at each of the feeds during reciprocating knitting. 'The semi-circle of needles indicated by the are A may knit at feed No. 3 while the opposite semi-circle of needles indicated by the are C may knit at feed No. 1. In addition thereto, the semi-circle of needles indicated by the arc B may knit at feed No. 2 while the opposite semi-circle of needles indicated by the arc D may knit at feed No. 4. In each of the identified semi-circles of needles, one or two additional needles at each end thereof may, at times, be included therein. Thus the quarter circle of needles common to the arcs C and B, and designated CB, may knit at feeds Nos. 1 and 2, the quarter circle of needles common to the arcs B and A, and designated BA, may knit at feeds Nos. 2 and 3; the quarter circle of needles common to the arcs A D, and designated AD, may knit at feeds Nos. 3 aud t; and the quarter circle of needles common to the arcs D and C, and designated DC, may knit at feeds Nos. 4 and 1. The approximate mid points of the four needle groupings indicated by the arcs A, B, C, and D, have been indicated by the lines AA, BB, CC, and DD, respectively.

3 The characters of Fig. 3 have been added to Fig. 2 inorder to establish the relationship between the various portions of the fabric and the needles and the feeds upon which these portions are made. The diamond areas and 21, inside bracket A, are made upon the needle group of are A at feed No. 3; the diamond areas 24, 25, and 26, inside bracket B, are made upon the needle group of arc B at feed No. 2; the split diamond areas 22 and 23, inside split bracket C, are made upon the needle group of are C at feed No. 1; and the diamond areas 27, 28, and 29, inside bracket D, are made upon the needle group of are D at feed No. 4. The line of design stitches of overplaid yarn 31, extending between lines DD and CC, may be made upon the needle group of arc DC at feeds No. 4 or No. 1; the line of design stitches of overplaid yarn 32, extending between lines AA and DD, may be made upon the needle group of arc AD at feeds No. 3 or No. 4; the line of design stitches of overplaid yarn 33, extending between lines BB and AA, may be made upon the needle group of arc BA at feeds No. 2 or No. 3'; and the line of design stitches of overplaid yarn 34, extending between lines CC and BB, may be made upon the needle group of arc CB at feeds No. 1 or No. 2.

In Fig. 4, the reciprocating knitting of four body yarns on the circle of needles N at the four feeds of the machine is illustrated, the four overplaid yarns 31 to 34 being in non-feeding positions at this time. Each body and overplaid yarn is shown as being fed through its own yarn finger, the latter being diagrammatically indicated by a small circle identified by the letter F. Body yarns Y 1, Y-2, Y-3, and Y-4, each passing through a finger F, are fed to the needles at feeds Nos. 1 to 4, respectively, and overplaid yarns 34, 33, 32,. and 31, each also passing through a finger F, are also fed to the needles at feeds Nos. 1 to 4, respectively. The four body yarn fingers F and their body yarns are shown outside circle N in their feeding positions, while the four overplaid yarn feeding fingers F and their overplaid yarns are shown inside circle N in their non-feeding positions.

The finger F of body yarn Y- 'l is shown as being flanked on its right side by the finger F of overplaid yarn 34 at feed No. 1, Fig. 4, and the body and overplaid yarn fingers F with their body and overplaid yarns are similarly relatively disposed at each of the other three feeds. However, the body and overplaid yarn feeding fingers may be reversely disposed (not shown) at each of the feeds in which case-the overplaid yarns will each knit at the same feeds but in different needle groups, for example, the yarn 34 flanked to the right side of yarn Y-1, will be knit by the needles of ar'c'CB while when the yarn 34 is flanked to the left of yarn Y'1, it will be knit by the needles of arc DC, and so on with the remaining overplaid yarns.

The substantially equal length body fabric courses of areas 22, 28, 2d, and 25, along line 35, 35 of Fig. 2, are shown as being reciprocatingly formed at substantially the same time, Fig. 4, wherein body yarn Y-l is knit on needle group of arc C-1 of the larger needle group of are C at feed No. 1, body yarn Y-2 is knit on needle group of arc 13-2 of the larger needle group of arc B at feed No. 2, body yarn Y-3 is knit on needle group of arc A-3 of the larger needle group of arc A at feed No. 3, and body yarn Y-4 is knit on needle group of arc D-4 of the larger needle group of are D at feed No. 4. As these body courses are formed, the end portions thereof are suture joined to provide tubular body courses thereof. The sizes of the needle groups knitting the body yarn courses at each of the feeds will vary from course to course thereof in accordance with the shapes of the fabric areas being knit. The same general method of knitting is performed at all of the feeds, so the description of the knitting at feed No. 1 will be applicable to the other three feeds. Generally, body yarn Y-l is placed in feeding position with overplaid yarn 34 in non-feeding position, Fig. 4, so that the appropriately selected needles of needle group of are C may knit this body yarn to form a first partial course, a full course, and a second partial course, of a fabric area, during at least three single strokes of the needle cylinder, after which body yarn Y-l is placed in non-feeding position inside needle circle N and overplaid yarn 34 is placed in feeding position, Fig. 6, so that the appropriately selected needle or needles of the needle group of arc CB may knit yarn 34 to form design stitches, for incorporation in courses of body yarns Y-l and Y-2 during one or more single strokes of the cylinder, this cycle of operations then being repeated to form each overplaid decorated fabric area. The courses knit thusly of yarn Y-l are diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5 wherein 36 is the first partial course made on approximately the first half of the needles of arc C-l on the left of CC, 37 is the full course made on all of the needles of the are 0-1, and 38 is the second partial course made on approximately the second half of the needles of arc C-1 on the right side of CC, shown with respect to the mid point CC of needle group of are C. Assuming that Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the needle circle, then partial courses 36 and 38 are made by counter clockwise strokes of the cylinder While full course 37 is made by a clockwise stroke. It will be appreciated that the positions of the two partial courses may be reversed relative to the mid point CC, in which event the full and partial courses will be made by cylinder strokes in the opposite directions.

There should be an even number of single strokes per cycle so that each first partial body yarn course 36 is knit in the same direction as, and in continuation of, each preceding second partial body yarn course 38. If a single stroke is to be used for knitting overplaid yarn 34, then a four stroke cycle may be used; if a pair of strokes are to be used for the overplaid knitting, then a six stroke cycle may be used with one stroke being either an idle one or being used for any other purpose, and so on. The body yarn Y-l and overplaid yarn 34 are repeatedly and alternately placed in feeding andin nonfeeding positions, Figs. 4 and 6, for the required number of strokes per cycle, as by appropriately moving their fingers F to positions inside and outside needle circle N by any appropriate means.

As appears in Fig. 4, yarn Y- l extends from a near central needle at approximately the mid point CC of needle group of are -1, this being the last needle knit in the formation of the preceding second partial course, and, as the next first partial course 36 is to be made by a stroke in one direction, knitting commences on the needle next in line to said near central needle and continues on the remaining needles extending therefrom to the right hand end of arc C-l. On the next stroke of the circle N in the opposite direction, course 37 is made on the needle. group of arc C-1, and then on the next stroke of the needle circle in said one direction, the second partial course 38 is made with knitting once again terminating on said near central needle. It will be understood that the first partial course 36, of each body yarn knitting cycle, is knit in continuation of the second partial course 38 of the preceding knitting cycle. This is indicated in Fig. wherein the full lines indicate the courses of one cycle while the dotted lines indicate the courses of the next cycle. In the finished product, the starting and the stopping points of the partial courses are not discernable. Thus, at the end of each three knitting strokes of each cycle at feed No. 1, body yarn Y-l extends from approximately the mid point of the needle group forming body fabric area courses thereat, this mid point being indicated at CC.

Similarly, at the other three feeds, the yarns Y-2, Y-3, and Y-4 extend from the approximate mid points of the needle groups forming body fabric area courses thereat, these mid points being indicated at BB, AA, and DD, respectively. Accordingly, each time that the overplaid yarns are to be knit, the non-feeding-positioned body yarns extend from approximately the mid lines of their respective fabric areas, so each overplaid yarn is thus free to be knit into any portion of each adjacent pair of fabric areas between the pair of body yarns extending therefrom, without becoming entangled with any of the body forming yarns.

Referring to Fig. 6, wherein the body yarns arein their non-feeding positions inside circle N, overplaid yarn 34 is in feeding position at feed No. 1 to be knit by any selected needles of the group of arc CB to form the overplaid design thereof. Since the needles of this same are CB are the ones which knit at feeds Nos. 1 and 2 for the formation of those portions of the fabric areas 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, which are between the lines CC and BB, Fig. 2, it follows that yarn 34 may form its design stitches anywhere in these portions of these fabric areas, so that by appropriate needle selection, the design stitches may be caused to extend uninterruptedly in a zig-zag line across the oppositely extending zig-zag line of the suture seams 30 between these fabric areas. plaid yarn 33, knitting on selected needles of arc BA at feed No. 2, may be incorporated in portions of the fabric areas 24, 25, 26, 20, and 21, between the lines BB and AA in'Fig. 2;. overplaid yarn 32, knitting on selected needles of arc AD at feed No. 3, may be incorporated in those portions of the fabric areas 20, 21, 27,

28, and 29, which are between the lines AA and DD in Fig. 2; and overplaid yarn 31, knitting on selected needles of arc DC at feed N0. 4, may be incorporated in those portions of the fabric areas 27, 28, 29, 22, and 23, which are'between the lines DD and CC in Fig. 2. While. it has been set forth that the body yarns extend from approximately the mid points or stitches of the body courses after each three strokes of body yarn knitting, that is, along the lines AA, BB, CC, and DD, of Fig. 2, the body yarns may extend from other points or stitches in these courses so long as such points aredisposed some place between the design stitches of the pairs of overplaid yarns being incorporated in these courses.

Similarly, over- Regardless of the disposition of such points, the needle selection should be such that each second partial and each first partial course is of such length as to form a complete course. a l

The invention, so described, provides a method of reciprocating knitting wherein a plurality of body yarns areindividually knit at each of a like plurality of feeds to form a like plurality of separate suture joined courses in alternation with the knitting of individual ones of a like plurality of overplaid yarns at each of said feeds to form design stitches thereat, the arrangement being such that the design stitches formed at each feed may be incorporated not only in the body courses knit thereat but also in the body courses knit at an adjoining feed. It will be understood that the body yarn is caused to be floated to the rear of the design stitches, in a manner well known in the art.

In Figs. 4 and 6, a single overplaid yarn and its yarn finger is shown at each of the feeds, however, in order to provide for color changes of the overplaidyarns in the fabric, a pair of diversely colored overplaid yarns and their yarn fingers, disposed in side by side relation,

may be used at each feed. By changing the'overplaid yarns at the centers of side diamond areas 25 and 28, a

cross color overplaid design without floats will be obtained by the use of eight overplaid yarns. Such a design is illustrated in Fig. 7, the showing of which is generally similar to that of Fig. 2 so that it need not be described in detail except to point out that the overplaid yarns 31, 32, 33, and 34, are interchanged with overplaid yarns 31, 32', 33', and 34', respectively, at the centers of side diamond areas 28 and 25. v The overplaid yarns may, of course, be interchanged more or less frequently to provide for other designs thereof. A plurality of body yarns is preferably used at each of the feeds to provide for color changes of the several diamond areas made thereat. While each of the overplaid yarns 3:1, 32, 33, and 34, as well as the overplaid yarns 31', 32', 33, and 34', (which may also be referred to as design yarns) is shown as a single yarn and may be so referred to, it will be understood that each such single yarn may be made up of a composite of individual yarns or strands.

In the above description, the overplaid yarns are disposed at one flank side only of the body yarns at each of the feeds, and this, in combination with the special manner of forming the body courses, provides for the crossing of the suture seams by the overplaid design without interference between the body and overplaid yarns. However, the overplaid yarns may be otherwise disposed, in relation to the body yarns, within the present invention. It will be noted that overplaid yarn 34 on the right flank of yarn Y-1 at feed No. 1 may be knittdby selected needles of arc CB, and that overplaid yarn 31 placed on the left flank of yarn Y-l at feedNo. 1 (being moved thereto from its position atfeed No. 4) maybe. knit by selectedneedles of arc DC. Similarly,'witha like relative disposition of overplaid yarns 32 and 33 in relation to yarn Y-3 at feed No. 3 (by moving yarn .33 thereto from feed No. 2), the overplaid yarn 3 2 may be knit by selected needles of arc AD, and the overplaid yarn 33 may be knit by selected needles of arc BA. Ac-v cordingly, in this variation, the four overplaid yarns, instead of being individually placed at each of the feeds, are disposed in pairs at each of an opposite pair of the feeds in such manner that flanked "on its right and left sides with an overplaid yarn.

With this disposition of the overplaid yarns, the same,

each body yarn thereat is.

and f r tha hordes of t e hast: herein t e to r overp a d Yar s di p ed in pai s t a opp site pa of feeds, are to be incorporated'in the pair of fabric areas kn a the in e n pair f. feeds, the h r i y be varied to the extent that the body yarns remain in feeding positions at the intervening pair of feeds (but not im oppo te P i f e n a Pa o b dy fabric areas are made th'ereat in a normal manner by reciprocating knitting on successive cylinder strokes of the machine, while, during these same strokes, the diagonally oposite pairs of overplaid yarns 3 2, 34 and 31, 33 are alternately placed, as pairs, in feeding and in non-feeding positions at the opposite pair of feeds to be incorporated as design stitches in the fabric areas being made atthe inervening pair of feeds.

Of course, instead of placing the overplaid yarns, in pairs, at feeds Nos. 1 and 3, they may be placed at feeds Nos; 2 and 4 in similar flanked relation to the body yarns thereat. Additionally, a pair of overplaid yarns may be placed so as to flank the body yarn on both sides thereof at each of the four feeds of the machine.

I la m:

1. A method of forming a pair of suture joined body fabric areas by reciprocatingly knitting body yarn at each of a pair of feeds of a knitting machine and of forming an overplaid design in and extending across the suture between said areas by reciprocatingly knitting an over-. plaid yarn at one only of said feeds, wherein said body yarn is knit at each of said feeds during at least a three stroke cycle to simultaneously form a first partial course and a full course and a second partial course for each of said fabric areas with the courses thereof suture joined in such manner that a first partial course of one of said fabric areas adjoins a second partial course of the other of said fabric areas, wherein said overplaid yarn is knit at one only of said feeds during a knitting cycle of at least one stroke, to form at least one design stitch thereof incorporated in at least one selected wale of the adjoining partial courses of said fabric areas, and wherein said knitting cycles are repeated :1 sufiicient number of times to form said fabric areas with said overplaid design therein during which each of the first partial courses is knit in continuation of each of the second partial courses in each of the fabric areas to form the alternate full courses thereof and during which the design stitches of said overplaid yarn are incorporated in selected wales of said adjoining partial courses.

2 A method of reciprocating knitting on a circular knitting machine wherein body yarn is individually knitat each of a first and of a second feed of a pair of feeds to form correspondingly individual suture joined first and second body fabric areas, and wherein overplaid design yarn is knit at said first of said pair of feeds to form a line, of design stitches of a single design yarn, said line of design stitches extending at an angle to, the wales of said areas and being incorporated not only in said first fabric area but also in said second fabric area in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uninterruptedly across the suture therebetween.

3. A method of forming a pair of suture joined body fabric areas by reciprocatingly knitting body yarn at each of a pair of feeds of a circular knitting machine and of forming an overplaid design of a line of design stitches incorporated in said areas at an angle to their wales in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uninterruptedly across the suture therebetween by reciprocatingly knitting a single design yarn at one only of said feeds, wherein said body yarn is knit at each of said feeds to form a number of courses of each of said pair of fabric areas, wherein said body yarn knitting is suspended upon said feeds, wherein said single design yarn is knit at said one feed to form stitches thereof incorporated, in. said courses of said, pair off-abric areas, and wherein overplaid design yarn knitting suspended at a d on fee and. pe t s d. s ep to f rm aid fab i area 7 4. A method of reciprocating knitting on a four feed circular knitting machine, including the step of reciprocatingly knitting a body yarn at each of said feeds to form a pair of circular fabric courses made up of suture oined pa rs of our e f ch of ai body yam suspending the knitting of said body yarns at said feeds, kn t in s t e of a in e e i n yar at a h, f d feeds for incorporation in said circular courses, suspending the knitting of said design yarns at said feeds, and repeating said steps, the stitches of each of said design yarns being incorporated in and being disposed at an angle to the wales extending between the center portions of the widest courses knit of a pair of said body yarns at an adjoining pair of said feeds.

5. A method of knitting on a eircular knitting ma. chine having a plurality of feeds and adapted to reciprocate to knit tubular body fabric at said feeds, including the step of reciprocatingly knitting body yarn at each of a pair of said feeds to form a pair of body fabric areas of said tubular fabric wherein said areas have common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales, and the step of-reciprocatingly knitting design yarn at one only of said pair of feeds independently of said body yarn knitting to form a line of design stitches of a single es n yarn spo ed, at an, opposi angle to ai a es and incorporated in said pair of areas in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uniterruptedly across said suture joined edges.

6. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four circumferentially spaced feeds and adapted to reciprocate to knit tubular body fabric at said feeds, including the step of reciprocatingly knitting body yarn at each of said feeds to form body fabric areas of said tubular fabric wherein said areas have common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales, and the step of reciprocatingly knitting design yarn at each of said feeds independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches thereof disposed at an angle to said wales wherein each of said lines of design stitches is knit of a single design yarn at one only of said feeds and is incorporated in the area knit at said one feed and in the area knit at an adjoining one of said feeds in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uninterruptedly across their common suture joined edges.

7. A method of reciprocating knitting on four feeds of a circular knitting machine, including the step of feeding body yarn at each of said feeds, the step of re! ciprocatingly knitting said body yarn at each of said feeds to provide tubular body fabric formed of a plurality of body fabric areas having common suture joined edges d sposed at an angle to their wales, the step, of feeding; design yarn at one flank side only of said body yarn at each of said feeds, and the step of reciprocatingly knitting said design yarn at each of said feeds independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches thereof disposed at an angle to said wales wherein each of said lines of design stitches is formed of a single design yarn at one only of said feeds and may be incorporated in a pair of said areas in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to, extend uninterruptedly across their common suture joined edges.

8. A method of reciprocating knitting on four feeds,

of a circular knitting machine, including the step of feeding body yarn at each of said feeds, the step of reciprocatingly knitting said body yarn at each of said feeds to provide tubular body fabric formed of a plurality of body fabric areas having common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales, the step offeeding a pair of design yarns at one flank side only of said body yarn at each of said feeds, and. the stepof' recrprocatingly knitting said pairs of design yarns at said feeds independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches thereof disposed at an angle to said wales wherein each of said lines of design stitches is formed of a single design yarn at one only of said feeds and may be incorporated in a pair of said areas in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uninterruptedly across their common suture joined edges.

9. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four feeds and adapted to reciprocate to knit tubular body fabric at said feeds, including the step of reciprocatingly knitting courses of body yarn at each of said feeds to form a plurality of body yarn areas of said tubular fabric wherein said areas have common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales, and the step of reciprocatingly knitting design yarn at each of said feeds independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches thereof disposed at an angle to said wales wherein each of said lines of design stitches is knit of a single yarn at one only of said feeds and is incorporated in a pair of said areas in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uninterruptedly across their common suture joined edges, and wherein successive pairs of said courses are knit in alternation with the formation of stitches knit of said design yarn at each of said feeds.

10. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four circumferentially spaced feeds and adapted to reciprocate to knit tubular body fabric at said feeds, including the step of reciprocatingly knitting said body yarn at each of said feeds to form a plurality of body yarn areas of said tubular fabric wherein said areas have common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales, the step of feeding design yarn at an opposite pair only of said feeds, and the step of reciprocatingly knitting said design yarn at said opposite pair of feeds independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches thereof disposed at an angle to said wales wherein each of said lines of design stitches is formed of a single design yarn at one only of said opposite pair of feeds and may be incorporated in a fabric area knit at said one of said opposite pair of feeds and in a fabric area knit at an adjoining feed in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uninterruptedly across their common suture joined edges.

ll. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having four circumferentially spaced feeds and adapted to reciprocate to knit tubular body fabric at said feeds, including the step of feeding body yarn at each of said feeds, the step of reciprocatingly knitting said body yarn at each of said feeds to form a plurality of body fabric areas of said tubular fabric wherein said areas have common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales, the step of feeding design yarn on both flank sides of the body yarn at an opposite pair only of said feeds, and the step of reciprocatingly knitting said design yarn at said opposite pair of feeds independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches thereof disposed at an angle to said wales wherein each of said lines of design stitches is formed of a single design yarn at one only of said opposite pair of feeds and may be incorporated in a fabric area knit at said one of said opposite pair of feeds and in a fabric area knit at an adjoining feed in such manner as to extend between the center portions thereof and as to extend uninterruptedly across their common suture joined edges.

12. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having a plurality of feeds and adapted to reciprocate to knit tubular body fabric at said feeds, including the step of reciprocatingly knitting body yarn at each of a pair of said feeds to form a plurality of adjoining body fabric areas of said tubular fabric wherein said areas have common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales and wherein said suture joined edges are arranged in a zig-zag suture path, and the step of reciprocatingly knitting design yarn independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches arranged in a zig-zag design path wherein the line of design stitches forming each diagonal portion thereof is composed of a single design yarn knit at one only of said pair of feeds and is disposed at an angle to said wales, said zig-zag paths being so disposed that each of said lines of design stitches is incorporated in and extends uninterruptedly across the suture joined edges of an adjoining pair of said areas formed at said pair of feeds.

13. A method of knitting on a circular knitting machine having a plurality of feeds and adapted to reciprocate to knit tubular body fabric at said feeds, including the step of feeding body yarn at each of a pair of said feeds, the step of reciprocatingly knitting said body yarn at each of said feeds to form a plurality of adjoining body fabric areas of said tubular fabric wherein said areas have common suture joined edges disposed at an angle to their wales and wherein said suture joined edges are arranged in a zig-zag suture path, the step of feeding design yarn at one flank side only of said body yarn at one of said pair of feeds, and the step of recipmocatingly knitting said design yarn independently of said body yarn knitting to form lines of design stitches arranged in a zig-zag design path wherein the line of design stitches forming each diagonal portion thereof is composed of a single design yarn knit at said one feed only and is disposed at an angle to said wales, said zig-zag paths being so disposed that each of said lines of design stitches is incorporated in and extends uninterruptedly across the suture oined edges of an adjoining pair of said areas formedat said pair of feeds.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,680,961 Thurston June 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 308,421 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1929 

